The Chinese Basketball Association has announced Ctrip as its official partner for the 2017-18 season in a deal that will see them jointly develop products combining travel and basketball.

The signing ceremony was held in Shanghai and attended by the Chinese Basketball Association President Yao Ming.

Yao, who owned the Shanghai Sharks team before becoming a national administrator, has mainly focused on the management and commercial aspect of Chinese basketball, including the CBA league.

Ctrip, China’s leading online travel agent, is the first travel brand to join hands with CBA. According to Sun Bo, senior vice president of Ctrip Group, the two parties will work on the development of basketball related products and give fans in the country easier access to CBA matches.

With Ctrip’s arrangement, 20 students from across the country watched Shanghai Sharks’ CBA match against Jilin Northeast Tigers at Pudong’s Yuanshen Stadium on Tuesday.

The Sharks won the match 121-103 for their 17th victory in 33 rounds. It is currently 11th in the standing and struggling to reach the eight-team playoffs with five regular season matches left.

Ma Yue / SHINE

Twenty students from across the country watch the Shanghai Sharks’ CBA match against Jilin Northeast Tigers.